City of Splendors: Waterdeep

Ehan "Bookworm" Alister

Description:

Born in Dock ward from parents too busy with their gaming and drinking problems, Ehan Alister grew up in the streets, rapidly becoming a resourceful young man with a deep knowledge of Waterddep's criminal world. At six years old, he was working with street thieves as a lookout and a messenger and at eight he was joining their ranks as a pickpocket, operating along the commercial docks.

Not too interested in fights, Ehan was always trying to use his brains to solve problems and to remain out of troubles. He was usually too fast and subtle to be caught by the watch or by rival gangs. However, he found his match in a dark alley near the Keelhauled Dwarf right after he had stolen a large purse from a traveling cleric of Shaundakul. It seems that the cleric was supposed to be the prey of another thief. Angry that a young upstart had moved against his target before him, the nasty rogue, who turned out to be a wererat, ambushed Ehan on the deserted lane, biting him twice before fleeing with the money.

Ignoring that the bite of a wererat was not only transporting a virulent disease but also a terrible curse, Ehan had his wounds checked by a bad street doctor and resumed his daily routine of removing the travelers from their overweighed coin purse. On the next full moon however, Ehan transformed into a monster similar to his attacker and, afflicted by a terrible rage, turned against anyone in his path. Without the intervention of a lycanthrope hunter named Arkin Tossum, Ehan would have probably gave in to the beast. He was healed from his disease and thought ways to control his savage side. Soon, the young man was fully healed but asked to remain with his new friends from the church of Selûne as a mean to atone for his crimes.

Impressed with Ehan's high intellect and his quick understanding of intrigues, an arcane devotee of the church proposed to teach him magic and more specifically divination. The wizard thought that using Ehan's vast knowledge of Waterdeep's underworld in conjunction with divination would be the perfect mean to end the holy war between the church of Selûne and the unholy church of the Dark Lady. After a few months hunting followers of Shar in Dock ward and in the sewers, Ehan was approached by his savior, Arkin Tossum, for a long-term mission against the savage followers of the Beastlord.

Since then, Ehan works as the information gatherer and criminal world expert for Arkin's pack. He his the youngest and less violent member and considers the use of weapons as the last solution to any problems. He is closer to his partners Nakia and Brom with who share his curiosity and his appetite for knowledge and culture. Evidently, his nickname Bookworm comes from the fact that he always has the nose in one of his books or spellbooks.

Secretly a member of the Pact of the New Moon, a sect of Selûnites who represent the primal facet of the Moonmaiden, hunting down cultists of Malar and evil lycanthropes.

They are sometimes considered heretics by the orthodox clerics of their faiths so they hide their affiliation.

Like the rest of his pack, Ehan is actively wanted by the Watch for the murders of Lady Aridarye Phylund and her son, Urtos III.